Now a multidisciplinary team of Brigham Young University scientists has developed a way to significantly reduce cell death when introducing DNA into egg cells. The researchers have created a microscopic lance that delivers DNA to the cells through electrical forces.

“Because DNA is naturally negatively charged, it is attracted to the outside of the lance using positive voltage,” said Brian Jensen, BYU professor of mechanical engineering. “Once we insert the lance into a cell, we simply reverse the polarity of the electrical force and the lance releases the DNA.”

Because the lance is 10 times smaller and no extra fluid is used, the cells undergo significantly less stress compared to microinjection, and thus, have a higher survival rate. The researchers describe their “metamorphic nanoinjection” process in an article published today by Review of Scientific Instruments.

It looks like the sun… but it isn’t. It’s a brand new type of artificial skylight called CoeLux which, for the first time, recreates the scientific process that makes the sky appear blue. It also creates an illusion of depth to make the ‘sun’ appear to be far above. Lux takes an exclusive look.

Bill Hammack shares images and information found in a collection of engineering journal editions from The Engineer during 1909 to 1911. These publications show great detail of the actual construction process, including how they created the Titanic and its twin the Olympic at the same time. Fascinating details with examples of cunning ingenuity from a lost time.